Where to buy

Our verdict

A great looking daily training shoe that will deliver a soft and smooth ride. Great for daily running, they are also light enough for tempo running. Our Shoeguide tester also ran a 50m race in them and found them to be superb. They offer a degree of support but not enough for someone requiring a motion control shoe. Great if you like a soft cushioning.

First impressions

We really liked the LunarGlide 8, it offered a soft cushioned ride but it was also surprisingly supportive. Well if you loved the 8, we’re pleased to tell you that not much has changed and the LunarGlide 9 is back to offer you that super-soft cushion feel.

A similar alternative shoe would be the Brooks Ravenna 8.

We like the look of the LunarGlides, always have. They look like they’re going to feel, like your most comfortable pair of shoes. If anything, the 9’s are even more comfortable on the foot than the 8’s, probably due to the even softer but more responsive Lunarlon midsole and the change of upper material which is extremely soft. The engineered mesh of the 8 have been replaced with a jacquard woven upper. They look good but we would question is they are less breathable.

Like the previous model, the heel collar is comfortable and the heel counter firm enough to hold your heel in place. Nike’s flywire cable lacing system runs within the upper which fits snugly as you tighten the laces. The upper really feels like it’s holding your foot securely.

The toe box is plenty wide enough and non-constricting to allow you to splay your toes out within the shoe.

Running in the shoe is like running of a marshmallow. The lightweight and flexible midsole offers a very soft but smooth ride. The shoe is fairly supportive though. The arch is fairly high and the midsole boasts a mix of soft and firmer piston-like outsole pods that nike say push in and spring back with every stride. Well, the ride although soft, is also responsive.

Midsole

The Lunarlon cushioning system uses a soft, foam core held inside of a supportive foam carrier to give lightweight, responsive cushioning. The updated core foam is now softer to deliver a smoother, plusher ride.

There are ‘Dynamic Support’ layers the Lunarlon foam core with the Phylon carrier to produce a denser medial midsole which helps reduce over pronation. It works well enough but these are not a shoe for serious over pronators.

The sole also features a decoupled crash pad at the heel which reduces impact shock and helps to correct over pronation.

The re-worked flex grooves in the sole unit make sure that the shoe is flexible but it does have a habit of picking up stones on the run, a problem we also commented on in the LunarGlide 8’s review.

Upper

The new mesh features nike’s Flywire cables that are thicker and softer than before. Compared to previous Flywire cables, they help disperse pressure across the midfoot and help support it. Flywire also integrates with the laces, providing more support as you tighten them. As previously mentioned, they hold the food snugly.

Conclusion

Nike’s LunarGlide 9 are a very comfortable and smooth riding shoe. They are incredibly flexible and look great! We found them supportive which was welcome, especially for tired legs on a long run but they are not for people requiring significant motion control features.

Technical info

Lunarlon cushioning core sits inside a firmer more supportive foam carrier. Designed to deliver a smoother, more plush ride.

Dynamic Support layers the Lunarlon foam core with the Phylon carrier to produce a denser medial midsole to help reduce over pronation.